News & Events

November 23, 2009

Ground Breaking Ceremoney held

Thatta: The ground breaking ceremony of Keenjhar Information & Conservation Center being established by the Indus for All Programme – WWF Pakistan was held here at Keenjhar Lake. Mr. Jan Willem Cools, First Secretary Environment and Water Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands laid the foundation stone, while Ms. Yasmeen Javed from Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr. Ali Hasan Habib Director General WWF, Dr. Ghulam Akbar Regional Director WWF Sindh, Nasir Ali Panhwar Programme Coordinator Indus for All Programme, Rab Nawaz NRM Coordinator and Zahid Jalbani site manager Keenjar Lake were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Cools said that the centre would contribute significantly in raising awareness about the Keenjhar Lake among the general public as well as students and researchers.

The Director General WWF, Ali Hasan Habib said that WWF has established eight such Conservation Information Centres in the country among which Wetland Centre Karachi is a prime example. These centres are serving to provide the conservation information to the visitors with practical exposure to the surrounding environment so that the tourists could get first hand information on various ecological processes and know about the biodiversity of the related ecosystem.

The Regional Director WWF Dr. Ghulam Akbar said that centre would contribute to raise awareness in local communities and visitors about the sustainable management of natural resources and educate the students & youth through school outreach programme. It would also promote concept of the ecotourism among visitors of the lake. The Programme Coordinator Indus for All Programme Nasir Ali Panhwar said that the centre is first of its kind, as thousands of tourists visit the Lake every week but return without any information about the Lake. He said that Center is being built by adopting the model of low-cost, energy efficient housing technology that is currently being implemented by UNDP Pakistan and Research & Development Foundation in Badin and Thatta districts. Earlier, Dr. Bakhshal Lashari and Massod Mahaser of Foundation briefed about the construction of centre.